Ritual
USA 2017
animator
16mm, ink
USA 2017
animator
16mm, ink
Ritual is an experimental animation. Inspired by ancient Chinese calligraphy written on bamboo slips, I applied inks on clear rolls of 16mm film to explore my Chinese identity and how it relates to film history.
Rather than thinking about the end product in the form of a video, I treated the 800 frames as canvases for individual paintings. I used dots and long strikes to mimic figurative characters from Chinese talismanic writing. Through a process of layering and mixing, these writings in red, blue, and black inks are gradually transformed into abstract color patterns, becoming impossible to decipher.After I manipulated the framerate and added music, these individual paintings appear on screen with movements as if the colors are interacting. Their collisions and repulsions open up space for meditation and interpretation.
Rather than thinking about the end product in the form of a video, I treated the 800 frames as canvases for individual paintings. I used dots and long strikes to mimic figurative characters from Chinese talismanic writing. Through a process of layering and mixing, these writings in red, blue, and black inks are gradually transformed into abstract color patterns, becoming impossible to decipher.After I manipulated the framerate and added music, these individual paintings appear on screen with movements as if the colors are interacting. Their collisions and repulsions open up space for meditation and interpretation.